Though large populations in Asia are Muslims many retain
their animist beliefs prior to their introduction to Islam by Arab merchants
and travelers. While Christian preachers tried to persuade traditional
people into Christianity, Islam was preached to them as a call to Islam
rather than an attack on their beliefs. The masses of Asian people that
accepted Islam retained their traditional ways. Most of these Muslims didn’t
see a problem in practicing their preIslamic ceremonies as well as Islam.
Many Asiatic people who are Muslim still practice traditional Spiritual
ways.

The clash between traditional Spiritual beliefs and Islam
never occurred in places like Indonesia whereas the Asiatic people in that
region had a series of clashes with Christians who came with the European
colonies. The difference between traditional Spiritual ways and Islam never
occurs with respect to accepting the beliefs. Both traditional Spiritual
beliefs and Islam say that there is One Creator and both say that the
Creator sent Prophets, thus fundamental beliefs of the two are the same.
When it comes to Islam and Christianity the fundamental beliefs of the two
clash. Islam considers Christianity as an earlier form of Islam before the
arrival of Prophet Muhammed while Christianity dismisses Prophet Muhammed.
Islam considers Jesus as a Prophet and says that there is One Creator while
Christianity says that Jesus was one of three gods. Islam accepts the Bible
as a Holy Book in it’s original form and dismisses the authenticity of later
forms of the Bible that were rewritten many times. Christianity says that
the Bible in it’s rewritten form is authentic and dismisses the Qur’an.
Muslims consider the Qur’an authentic and are very meticulous about who
transmitted the Qur’an and other texts over the generations from person to
person. At the same time Muslims consider the Qur’an a Miracle from the
Creator because it’s text is impossible to be changed; nothing can be added
to it without the incoherence being noticed, nor taken out of it without the
missing portion being noticed. Looking at the Qur’an with it’s structure and
literary value of the highest standard Arabic literature, nothing can be
written equivalent to any part of it.

There are two important factor that played a role in retaining the
traditional Spiritual ways of many Asian people who were under Islamic
influence, as well as animists in Africa. The first is that the Qur’an
orders that no one be compelled into Islam. The second is that Prophet
Muhammed ordered Muslims leave alone people from Nations such as the Turkic
Nations and African Nations who both have traditional Spiritual beliefs.
Christians on the contrary went to conquer and convert those Nations to
Christianity.